Breaking Point
Disclaimer: Not mine. Goldstein is, though.
While I am a firm Tiva shipper, this fic is not going to be a Tiva-romance fic. There isn't any romance in this fic at all. Just so you know and don't get your hopes up! If you want a good Tiva romance, you could do far worse than check out AliyahNCIS's "Remnants of Somalia" series, which is absolutely fantastic.
Please please review! I want to know what you think, both good and bad (and if there are typos, please let me know so I can fix them). I really do appreciate reviews.
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Chapter 4: Suspects
"Well, that was a waste of time," growled Tony as they returned to the NCIS building three hours later.
"I don't know…" disagreed McGee slowly. "That couple we talked to last were a bit too clueless. I want to set Gibbs on them before we dismiss them entirely."
"How and for what reason do we bring them in here, McUseless?"
"I can do a background check."
"You do that, McGee," said Gibbs from behind them. "But first talk to me about them. DiNozzo, you too."
McGee took his coat off and hung it on the back of his chair. "Came here from Israel five years ago. One adult son who still lives over there, rest of the family killed in a Hamas bombing, which is what made them decide to move here. They say they don't know anything at all about Mossad and that's what got me suspicious. How can you be Israeli and not know anything about Mossad?"
"Find their records. Dig up anything and everything you can find about them. Anything. DiNozzo, get on Goldstein's case and tell her the translation is number one priority. Didn't you hear me?" He waved the Hebrew note under the senior agent's nose.
"On it, Boss." Tony took it from him and hurried off to find Goldstein so swiftly that he didn't even take his coat off. It didn't take him long to find her – he bumped into her (literally) in the corridor.
Special Agent Miriam Goldstein did not offer him a hand up from the floor. "What is it, DiNozzo?"
Tony winced at the address, a change from his first name, and scrambled to his feet. "We need your help," he informed her briskly, handing the note to her.
Goldstein arched one eyebrow. "Don't you have Ziva David on your team?" she demanded.
Tony bit his lip at the mention of his missing partner. "Actually, no. She – she's disappeared. We found this in her apartment this morning."
"Oh." Goldstein paused awkwardly, then read the note. "It says: 'There is no such thing as ex-Mossad. Blood is thicker than water.' I think the implications are fairly clear. Anything else I can do for you?"
Tony shook his head. "No. All good. Thanks." He took back the note and returned to the bullpen, relaying to his colleagues what Goldstein had translated.
Gibbs made a growling sound that made everyone in the room stop what they were doing and look round at him. "When I get my hands on Eli David, I'll string him up by his –"
A throat was cleared behind him, cutting him off. Gibbs turned round to see Vance standing there, arms folded over his chest. "Gibbs..."
"Leon," acknowledged Gibbs mildly. "What? I never said I'd blow his brains out or anything. Not unless it comes down to his life or Ziva's." He turned his gaze to McGee. "McGee, got anything?"
McGee sighed. "He's got an outstanding parking ticket but that's all I can find – wait, hold on…"
"What is it?" asked Vance.
"Someone's flagged the record…" McGee began furiously tapping his keyboard while the director and the rest of the team looked on. "C'mon, c'mon…" He exhaled abruptly, a resigned expression on his face as he met Gibbs' eyes.
"Don't you have a meeting to go to, Leon?" asked Gibbs pointedly.
"What? No I – Oh!" Comprehension dawned on Vance's face. "Excuse me, gentlemen." He nodded briefly at them and left the floor.
Tony glanced, confused, between Gibbs and McGee. "Er, Boss, he doesn't have a meeting, does he?" He ducked, anticipating the head-slap that for once didn't come. "Boss?"
Gibbs beckoned him over to McGee's desk and they crouched down; Gibbs put his hand on the younger agent's shoulder. "Timothy…"
McGee interrupted him. "I'm going to hack into the CIA again, aren't I, Boss?"
"Got it in one." Gibbs patted him on the shoulder.
"Boss?"
"What, McGee?"
"I'm gonna need a decent coffee…" McGee smiled sweetly at Gibbs, uncannily like the smile Abby gave him when she wanted an extra Caf-Pow.
This amused Gibbs and he smiled a little. "I think that can be arranged. DiNozzo, I want the names of everyone who's attended that synagogue since Ziva first joined us. Especially since we brought her back from Somalia. Since she resigned from Mossad. 'No such thing as ex-Mossad': that's definitely Eli. He's paraphrased me."
Tony met his eyes, even more worried now. "She's in really serious trouble, isn't she, Boss?"
"Get going with those names," ordered Gibbs, knowing that the tedious task would require all of Tony's attention, stopping from spending his time worrying about his partner. "Coffee for you too?"
"Thanks, Boss." He was mildly surprised at the gesture but then realised that it was the gravity of the situation that had prompted it. With that thought in mind, he shook himself and set about drawing up a plan for the task he had been given.
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Vance reappeared at five-thirty, knowing that McGee would probably have had enough time to not hack into the CIA. Abby, Ducky and Palmer were hanging around the team's area, Palmer repetitively cleaning his glasses, Abby sitting on Ziva's desk whilst swinging her legs back and forth, and Ducky telling one of his long, rambling tales that for once nobody had the heart to tell him to shut up about.
Ducky fell silent as Vance joined them. The NCIS director nodded at all of them. "Update," he said.
"Have you heard anything from Eli?" asked Gibbs.
Vance shook his head. "Man seems to have completely disappeared off the radar. DiNozzo?"
"Rabbi's given me a list of all the names he can think of. There are a lot of people and he doesn't have everyone's names." Vance cleared his throat impatiently and Tony quickly resumed. "I've got a few names flagged on the system but nothing significant."
"Define 'nothing significant'."
"Some speeding tickets, parking tickets, some low-level juvenile stuff."
"Links to wider networks?"
"Working on that but nothing so far."
"Keep on it. McGee?"
McGee nodded his head, but his face clearly reflected how much more worried he had become compared to earlier. "I've got something. It's not good. I mean, really not good." He paused, taking a moment to collect himself. "That couple Tony and I talked to earlier – they're not the innocent immigrants escaping from the violence and danger that they claimed to be."
"They work for Eli," from Gibbs. It was a statement of confirmation rather than a question.
"Mossad agents. Oh, it gets better."
"Or worse," muttered Tony. Abby glared at him.
"They're also working with the CIA. More specifically, a particular agent – one who is no longer a CIA agent."
"CI Ray," growled Tony. McGee nodded mutely. Abby gasped, wide-eyed with shock.
"Bring all three of them in. Now," ordered Vance. "Grab your gear. I'm coming too." Swiftly, Gibbs, Tony and McGee grabbed their gear and hurried to the lift, not wanting to lose a single precious second.
The others watched them go. "I do hope their questions earlier didn't spook that couple," said Ducky anxiously. "Or prompt them to get word to Ziva's father –" He was cut off by Abby flinging herself into his arms and although he was momentarily stunned, he quickly remembered that this was Abby and hugs were her default response to just about every situation. He met Palmer's eyes and knew that his assistant was just as worried as the rest of the team.
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Vance and McGee went on the hunt for Ray. During the afternoon, when McGee had been working on technological matters, he had obtained addresses for both Ray and the Mossad couple. Vance was driving, McGee directing, and it took around half an hour to arrive at their destination.
All seemed in order when Vance casually pulled up beside a nice-looking suburban house, which he knew belonged to Ray's sister. "Ready, McGee?"
"Yes, sir."
Vance strode up to the front door and knocked firmly while McGee slipped round the back. A moment later a dark-haired woman answered. "Yes?"
"Director Vance of NCIS," he informed her, holding up his badge. "Is your brother in?"
"Yes. What's this about?"
"Your brother." There was a faint, almost intangible hint of sarcasm in the director's voice.
"Oh. Er. Yes." She poked her head into what Vance assumed was the lounge. "Ray, someone here for you."
"Who? And what do they want?"
"I don't know; you'll have to ask him."
A sigh, then a moment later, former CIA agent Ray Cruz wandered up to the front door. "What can I –" He broke off when he laid eyes on Vance and turned on his heel to bolt.
"Not gonna happen," growled Vance, stepping into the house, slamming the shorter man against the wall and swiftly handcuffing him. "McGee!" he yelled. "I've got him!"
Ray didn't even attempt to struggle free, knowing Vance would overpower him in an instant; a moment later McGee appeared, Ray's rights were read to him and the two agents bundled him somewhat unceremoniously into the car. Vance looked at Ray's sister. "We're taking him to NCIS headquarters. You can come if you want."
She looked completely bewildered. "Er… My husband's back from work soon; I – I'll ask him to take me."
"Ask for Director Vance."
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On the way to the Israeli couple's apartment, Tony arranged backup while Gibbs drove. Their plan was discussed; backup arrived three minutes after the NCIS agents and Gibbs briefed them. After showing their badges and ID to the building supervisor, the agents were let in and made their way up to the couple's apartment on the sixth floor. [USA: 7th floor] Tony knocked firmly on the door and waited.
No response. He tried again, harder this time. Slow footsteps could be head coming towards the door and the two agents readied their guns, their guts telling them that their targets would not come quietly.
The door opened. "Yes?" asked the woman in a heavy accent similar to Ziva's.
"Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo. You may remember me from this morning. This is Special Agent Gibbs, my boss. NCIS. We'd like to ask you some questions."
Abruptly the woman moved to slam the door in his face; Gibbs, anticipating this, stepped forwards to prevent the door from closing. "We've got the place surrounded," he warned her as he flung the door open again with his shoulder.
The woman shouted something in Hebrew as she raced through the apartment. Gibbs and Tony were immediately hot on her heels. They were heading for the fire escape; the heavy door banged shut behind the woman. Tony swore, then a moment later remembering that the backup agents were stationed on the metal stairs and would stop the couple from getting away. He flung open the door just in time to see Jackson and Marquez tackling the Israelis to the metal fire escape, which shook under the force of the captures. "Thanks, guys!" shouted Tony from the doorway.
"Get them in the car while we secure the scene," called Gibbs. The Israeli man met his eyes just then, and the look he got from the NCIS agent in return made the suspect balk slightly. Gibbs couldn't wait to get them into Interrogation.
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TBC